The present invention relates in general to conduits of the type used, for example, for supporting, housing and protecting various equipment and, in particular, various electrical equipment, and also for the support, housing and protection of conductors, pipes or other equipment necessary for serving this equipment.
As is known, a conduit has, by definition, a base, having an open cross-section, by which it is fixed to any kind of surface, and a cover which, in order to close this base, must be added in a detachable manner onto the latter.
As is also known, such a conduit is used in practice in sections, particularly when, passing from a first wall to a second wall forming a dihedral with the first one, it must undergo a change of orientation.
The present invention more particularly relates to the routing accessories, commonly called angle accessories, used for establishing all the desired continuity between two conduit sections thus running over surfaces which form between them a dihedral whose angle is in practice on the whole equal to 90xc2x0.
These angle accessories form what it is commonly agreed to call an xe2x80x9cinterior anglexe2x80x9d when the corresponding dihedral is an inward dihedral and an xe2x80x9cexterior anglexe2x80x9d when this dihedral is an outward dihedral, that is to say a protruding dihedral.
In all cases, they globally comprise a mask capable of extending between the covers of the two conduit sections to be connected.
This mask comprises, in practice, two side walls, one for each of the conduit sections, and for their adaptation to the latter, these side walls form a dihedral between each other, in the image of the corresponding surfaces.
There is a double problem in this case.
On the one hand, the fixing of this mask must be ensured in a satisfactory manner.
On the other hand, considering the construction tolerances which inevitably apply to the most usual buildings, this mask must be able to adapt to dihedrals whose angle differs very slightly from 90xc2x0, the value of this angle for example being between 85xc2x0 and 95xc2x0.
The present invention relates even more precisely to angle accessories, commonly called variable angles, whose masks are capable of such adaptation.
According to a first and already known embodiment, the two side walls of the mask are mechanically connected to each other by a hinge, whether, as described in the French patent which, lodged under Number 78 20683, was published under Number 2 431 209, this hinge is formed by a thinner wall which, being in one piece with the two side walls, connects the latter continuously, or, more commonly, it is formed by two pivots by which the two side walls are articulated with each other.
Most often, the mechanical connection thus established between the two side walls is relatively rigid and the result of this is that any shock applied to one of these side walls is essentially transmitted to the other one, risking a possible separation of all of part of the assembly with respect to the conduit.
Furthermore, when the corresponding hinge consists of pivots, there is added to this risk the risk of a separation of the two side walls with respect to each other at the level of these pivots, particularly in the case of an exterior angle.
In the French patent which, lodged under Number 95 02753, was published under Number 2 731 496, the two side walls, not connected to each other, are jointly covered by a skin made of flexible and elastic material forming a hinge.
But although it has a certain advantage, the corresponding embodiment is relatively costly and complex.
According to a second type of already known embodiment, the two side walls of the mask are completely disassociated from each other, as is the case, for example, in the British patent which, lodged under Number 87 12133, was published under Number 2 205 200.
The fixing of these side walls is therefore carried out individually for each of them, by operating in practice directly on the base of the corresponding conduit section.
Besides a certain complexity in positioning, this almost inevitably results in difficulties in the adjustment of these side walls to one another.
The present invention relates in general to an arrangement making it possible to avoid these difficulties.
More precisely, it relates to an angle accessory for a conduit, that is to say a routing accessory intended to establish a continuity between two conduit sections each one respectively running over two walls forming a dihedral between them and each comprising a base and a cover, this angle accessory being of the type comprising a mask capable of extending between the covers of the two conduit sections and in general being characterised in that it comprises two supports, one for each conduit section, each of these two supports having, on the one hand, assembly means capable of allowing it to be mounted on the base of the corresponding conduit section and, on the other hand, receiving means capable of allowing the mask to be attached therein, and in that, in conjunction, the mask is divided into two separate side walls, one side wall for each support, and therefore one side wall for each conduit section.
Because of the presence of the two supports thus used, which act as interfaces between the side walls of the mask and the bases of the conduit sections, it is advantageously possible to reconcile an easy and adequate fixing of the mask to these conduit sections with an appropriate adjustment to one another of the two side walls of this mask, whatever the possible deviation with respect to the normal, that is to say with respect to a right angle, of the angle of the corresponding dihedral may be, provided of course that this deviation remains within the foreseen limits.
Preferably, between the two supports provided according to the invention there are means of engagement by which these two supports are, at least locally, engaged with one another.
These means of engagement advantageously allow precise positioning of the two supports with respect to each other and, because of this, they are particularly favourable to a correct adjustment of the two side walls carried by these supports, without these side walls themselves being connected to each other.
Whilst ensuring this positioning, the means of engagement acting between the two supports furthermore advantageously ensure a certain connection and a certain articulation between these supports, without however there being any real assembly operation to be applied to the latter.
Thus, whilst forming a variable angle, the angle accessory according to the invention is advantageously particularly simple to put into position and, once in position, the mask which it comprises is particularly well adjusted, to the advantage of its appearance.
Furthermore, it is advantageously particularly resistant to shocks.
Finally, the supports which the angle accessory according to the invention uses are advantageously easy and economic to mould, because, even with the means of engagement intended to act between them, their shape remains relatively simple.